The ‘animal fashion’ stirs debate in Astana

A group of Kazakh parliamentarians is calling for measures against ‘Furry Fandom’, a phenomenon in which groups of young people go around dressed as animals theorising that this is the true expression of their personality. In an investigation by Currentime their stories and the accusations of those who claim they are ‘a problem for society’.

Almaty (AsiaNews) - For some time measures have been sought in Russia to limit or eliminate the fashion of ‘quadroberi’, four-legged men who dress up as animals, a seemingly harmless game but considered by state and church authorities as a serious violation of ‘traditional moral values’ and a pernicious western influence.

Now animal masquerade is also becoming increasingly popular in Kazakhstan, especially in the form of Furry Fandom, the ‘furry fairy tale’ centred on anthropomorphic animal characters, which reworks popular images from cartoons or video games, and repressive measures are being announced.

An investigation by Currentime sought to understand the motivations of those who are drawn into this kind of drama. The young Erlan from Almaty works in life as an IT specialist at a bank in Kazakhstan, but prefers to be called by the name of his chosen character, the raccoon Racoon, and is interviewed in the costume he prepared himself, which he says ‘does not represent an alter ego, it is a completion of my personality’.

To become part of this community of fantastic beings, it is not enough to find yourself an animal costume: you have to describe your hero, give him a name and a personality that cannot just be a comic book copy, and then you can prepare your mask.

A furry costume costs around 0, and many limit themselves to the face part, perhaps adding the paws and tail. As Racoon explains, ‘I got into it by reading a lot of stories, I think it's a really creative way to express my soul’. The raccoon costume was prepared with the help of a painter friend, and every day she completes it with various sewing parts.

Kazakhstan's quadroberians love to walk around in masked groups and organise themed parties, becoming more and more relaxed in front of the video cameras and overcoming their shyness and shyness.

In Almaty, the fashion has taken hold for several years now, although the first furries appeared in America still in the 1980s. The difference with the quadrobers is the anthropomorphic choice, without imitating the four-legged movements and eccentricities of various animals.

In the Astana parliament, the topic became a matter for discussion in view of possible restrictive measures. Member of Parliament Daulet Mukaev intervened, stating that ‘the worst thing is the psychological trauma that young people suffer from this fashion, ceasing to be truly human and thus escaping from real problems’, quoting a Russian-Kazak proverb to the effect that man ‘is not a beast to be shot, not a cow to be cut down’, and warned of the danger of ‘losing an entire generation’.

All competent bodies are called upon to seek appropriate solutions, because ‘it is not just a problem for parents, but for the whole of society and the whole state’.

In the parliamentarians' appeals to the government to intervene, they do not distinguish the quadrobers from the furries, which is not easy for adults in the institutions. The young people of Almaty express their concern about the possible forms of repression and public ridicule to which they want to be subjected, believing that they do not pose any kind of threat to society.